Dimonic's page

OTOH, nearly everyone I know who has played D&D for a long time would rather play something besides 4e. I never bought the 4e books, but I jumped on Pathfinder, having known about Paizo quality due to Dungeon. We're introducing new players to the game, and we're introducing them to Pathfinder.

Hmmm. What you say could be perfectly true, but then again, I have gamed with over 100 different individuals over the last year, and only 3 of them to my knowledge are interested in Pathfinder to the point of possibly owning the rules (and I played 4e with them all).

I do know someone personally who seems religiously opposed to 4e, but none of his "logic" around the issue seems any more reasonable than creationism.

So, it seems it all comes down to the crowd you hang with.

Crazy Idea!

Have Paizo OGL their gameworld and new rules as OGL 4.0. This would raise the stakes and either:

nudge WOTC into releasing their 4.0 as OGL or

WOTC turns it's back on OGL but gamers have a choice.

However, the time to act is now, because if you wait until 4.0 is released, many good ideas will be copyright already.

It seems a number of people have either

1. had problems with past rules interpretations of firearms (eg: balance, workability etc), or

2. feel that the flavour of DnD is incompatible with fireamrs, or

3. Don't see that firearms would have developed in the first place (competing with magic).

A 1. In the excellent Savage Tide AP, I pleaded with my DM to allow "Malachi the Mad", a Swashbuckling Rogue and Captain of the the now beached Sea Wyvern, to use a pistol using the Privateer Press OGL firearms rules <http://www.privateerpress.com/docs/privateer_firearms.pdf>.
He was reluctantly persuaded. Since that time (with at least three fumbles, which fortunately did not end up with Malachi's arm being blow off), and many more holes in the ceiling than dead-eye shots, but 2 or 3 massive criticial sneak attacks, they are consisered a great game success, both in flavour, and balance, by the DM and all the players. On balance, I would have to say that I would be doing more damage had I put the same number of feats into a longbow, but the boomstick is way more fun.

A 2. That really depends on the setting. Even for me, "fireamrs everywhere" is not to my liking. I can't see elves or rural halflings having much to do with them. I can see races that culturally have little to do with arcane magic, but everything to do with metallurgy "giving it a shot" (such as Dwarves, and possibly although unreliably Gnomes).

A 3. See A 2, also consider the "training time" for a non-adventuring mage. One person can make alchemical powder for hundreds of poorly trained militia. The results may normally be on par with the ancient crossbow, but may chance to do more damage on a critical.

Excellent job once again. I have played Dragonlance, I like Eberron and Forgotten Realms (have 10 or so book for each setting), and I cannot find it in me to complain about the presence or non-presence of such setting specific stuff.

I do like the contributions of Michael Kortes. His work reminds me of the early days particularly the cool names of villains, cleverly custom made magic items with unpredictable properties, and yet balanced and suited to modern 3.5 aesthetics. Home Under the Range is just the latest example of such an adventure. (BTW, you should easily be able to place this in the Mror holds in Eberron, or the Spine of the World in FR).

For a party of third level, there are encounters to suit every taste: the negotiate with "a far outclasses us" type, the "natural" underground hazards, and cool native outsider types, with carefully crafted classes and allies.

Suffice it to say that there is far more than meets the eye when you actually run this adventure, and woe betide the party that takes it for granted. A fine adventure that may last 2 or 3 sessions alone.

Frankly, I don't have time to run one adventure from each Dungeon I receive. That, and that alone would be reason to "pause" subscribing. (Although I also love reading the cartoons and advice collumns).